Para Chloroaniline
Para Chloroaniline — PCA or 4-chloroaniline — is one of the oldest and most widely used aniline intermediates in the industry. It feeds azo pigments and dyes, carbanilide and biguanide antimicrobials, and phenylurea herbicide chemistry through the 4-chlorophenyl isocyanate route.
Chelora Chemicals supplies PCA to pigment houses, agrochemical formulators and fine chemical manufacturers worldwide, in bags, drums and container quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 106-47-8
- IUPAC name
- 4-Chloroaniline
- Molecular formula
- C6H6ClN
- Molecular weight
- 127.57 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 203-401-0
- MDL number
- MFCD00007629
- SMILES
- Nc1ccc(Cl)cc1
- HS Code
- 2921 42*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of halogenated aniline derivatives varies between destination tariffs.
What Para Chloroaniline is used for
Para Chloroaniline is an aniline carrying a single chlorine para to the amino group. That one substitution does a lot of work: it deactivates the ring toward further electrophilic attack, steadies the diazonium salt made from it, and leaves the 4-chlorophenyl fragment on everything built downstream. The result is a general-purpose intermediate that has found a home in colour chemistry, antimicrobials and crop protection alike.
In practice PCA is a captive intermediate: plants buy it to diazotise, to phosgenate into 4-chlorophenyl isocyanate, or to condense into biguanide and carbanilide structures. Very little of it is ever sold on as-is.
Why the isomer matters
The three chloroaniline isomers are separate molecules with separate uses, and a substitution downstream is not recoverable:
- 4-Chloroaniline (CAS 106-47-8) — this product. Chlorine para to the amine. The highest-volume of the three.
- 2-Chloroaniline (CAS 95-51-2) — the ortho isomer, with a different steric profile at nitrogen and its own dye and pharmaceutical routes.
- 3-Chloroaniline (CAS 108-42-9) — the meta isomer, used across dye and agrochemical chemistry where the 1,3 pattern is required.
If your purchase order simply says "chloroaniline", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. We supply the sister isomers and the dichlorinated grades as well — see 3,4-dichloroaniline and 2,5-dichloroaniline.
Appearance and handling character
PCA ships as a white to pale buff or amber crystalline solid or flake melting just above 70 °C — a solid in a temperate store, but liable to soften or fuse in an uncooled container on a tropical routing. It is sparingly soluble in water and dissolves readily in alcohols, ketones and aromatic solvents. Like all primary aromatic amines it darkens on exposure to air and light, drifting toward buff and then brown. Read the next section before planning any handling: this material carries a carcinogenicity classification, and that should shape your controls from the outset rather than being discovered at the goods-in door.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White to pale buff crystals / flakes |
| Assay (GC) | 99.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.3% max |
| Melting range | 69 – 72 °C |
| Total isomeric impurities | 1.0% max |
| Non-volatile residue | Reported per batch |
Important: the figures above are indicative of commercial grade material and are offered for planning only. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document. If your process demands a tighter assay, a specific isomer limit, a colour ceiling or a controlled moisture figure, send us the specification and we will quote against it rather than against a generic grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Crystalline solid at ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ 71 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 232 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 122 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.17 |
| Partition coeff. (log P) | ≈ 1.83 |
| Water solubility | Sparingly soluble (≈ 2.6 g/L) |
| Organic solubility | Soluble in alcohols, ketones, aromatic & chlorinated solvents |
| Odour | Faint, amine-like |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 106-47-8 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
PCA is a general-purpose intermediate rather than a single-outlet one. Its volume is spread across colour chemistry, antimicrobials, crop protection and fine synthesis.
Azo pigments & dyes
The classic outlet. Diazotised PCA is coupled onto naphthol and acetoacetarylide components to build monoazo pigments and dyes. The para chlorine deepens shade and improves fastness and solvent resistance over plain aniline.
- Diazo component in azo chemistry
- Isomer content shows up directly as off-shade
- See also 2,5-dichloroaniline
Antiseptics & antimicrobials
PCA is the aromatic half of the chlorhexidine biguanide structure and of the carbanilide antimicrobials built through the 4-chlorophenyl isocyanate route. Both are long-established outlets with demanding purity expectations.
- Biguanide antiseptic chemistry
- Carbanilide synthesis with 3,4-dichloroaniline
- Tight isomer limits usually apply
Phenylurea herbicides
Converted to 4-chlorophenyl isocyanate and reacted with dimethylamine, PCA gives monuron and the related substituted ureas — the same chemistry that runs from 3,4-dichloroaniline to diuron, one chlorine lighter.
- Substituted urea herbicide chemistry
- Moisture critical at the isocyanate step
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Pharmaceutical intermediates
A 4-chlorophenyl fragment appears across several established drug families, and PCA is the usual way to install it — through amide formation, ring construction or N-arylation.
- Amide, urea and sulfonamide formation
- Heterocyclic ring construction
- See also para fluoroaniline
Fine & specialty synthesis
A cheap, well-behaved aryl amine building block for custom amides, ureas, Schiff bases and ligand work where the 4-chlorophenyl group is required and the chlorine may itself be a handle for later cross-coupling.
- Custom amide and urea formation
- Chlorine retained for later coupling
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Contract & scheduled supply
Pigment and active-ingredient plants run to campaign, not to a calendar month. Most PCA buyers want tonnage released against a production plan rather than in one shipment. We hold inventory and release it to your schedule.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply Para Chloroaniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no chloroaniline plant — and for a specification-sensitive intermediate like this one, that independence works in your favour. We are never obliged to push you whatever a captive unit happens to be running that month.
Instead we place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your assay, your isomer tolerance, your price point and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line. When a plant goes down for maintenance, or a monsoon disrupts a road corridor, your campaign switches source rather than stalling.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 106-47-8 and not the ortho or meta isomer, or a dichlorinated grade, before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, moisture and impurity profile against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Hazard status stated up front. This material carries a carcinogenicity classification, and we say so at enquiry stage — not in the small print of a document pack that arrives with the goods.
- Pre-shipment samples for qualification. New account or new source, your R&D team runs a lab batch before the full quantity ever moves.
- Packing chosen for your climate. With a melting point just above 70 °C, pack format and stowage matter on a tropical routing. We plan both with you.
- Export machinery handled in-house. Hazard classification, UN-approved packing, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
- Consolidation onto one bill of lading. Ship PCA alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed the way your plant receives it
Pack format drives your landed cost and your handling effort — and for a material with a carcinogen classification, it also drives operator exposure. Tell us how it will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
Multi-wall paper & PE bags
Laminated multi-wall bags with an inner liner, palletised and shrink-wrapped. The default for LCL movements and for plants charging batch-wise by hand.
Fibre & HDPE drums
UN-certified drums with liner for longer sea transits and humid destinations. Better protection against moisture pick-up, colour drift and caking than bagged material.
Jumbo / FIBC bags
Bulk bags with liner for high-volume users with mechanical charging. Fewer handling movements, lower operator contact and materially lower packing cost per kilo.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities dispatched by courier so your R&D team can qualify the grade before committing to campaign volume.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to. Ocean, air and road freight arranged end-to-end with documentation filed before booking.
Campaign despatch
Pigment and active-ingredient production runs to campaign. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as a classified carcinogen
This is the point on the page that matters most. Para chloroaniline is not only acutely toxic and skin-absorbable — it carries a carcinogenicity classification in major regulatory regimes, and in several jurisdictions that brings specific occupational obligations that go well beyond ordinary chemical handling. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your consignment is the authoritative document and should govern your risk assessment, PPE selection, exposure monitoring and emergency planning.
Classified hazards
H350May cause cancer.H301Toxic if swallowed.H311Toxic in contact with skin.H331Toxic if inhaled.H317May cause an allergic skin reaction.H410Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Hazard statements reflect the harmonised GHS classification commonly published for CAS 106-47-8. Supplier classifications may differ in detail; always read the SDS issued with your specific batch, and treat the carcinogenicity entry as the one that shapes your controls.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the pallet arrives, not after a bag splits. The points below are orientation for your emergency planners — sections 4, 5 and 6 of the SDS are the authoritative instructions and should be posted at the point of use.
- Sweep, do not hose. The material is very toxic to aquatic life. Collect spilled solid mechanically into a labelled container; never wash it to a drain.
- Suppress dust. Dry sweeping of a fine solid generates an inhalable aerosol — use vacuum collection or dampen carefully in line with the SDS.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. Chloroanilines can cause methaemoglobinaemia, and the treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
- Record the exposure. For a classified carcinogen, most occupational regimes expect an exposure record to be created and retained. That is a decision for your EHS function, and it is easier made before an incident than after one.
Storage
- Cool, dry, well-ventilated store, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. The melting point is only about 71 °C, so an uncooled store in a hot climate can fuse the contents into a cake.
- Keep containers tightly closed. Air and light drive the buff-to-brown colour drift typical of anilines, and an open bag also picks up moisture.
- Segregate from oxidising agents, strong acids and acid chlorides. As a primary aromatic amine it reacts exothermically with acylating and oxidising reagents.
- Access-controlled, bunded storage. For a classified carcinogen, restricting who can reach the store is part of the control, not an administrative nicety.
- Shelf life is typically 12–24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Design exposure out, do not manage it down. For a carcinogen the hierarchy of control matters: closed transfer and mechanical charging first, ventilation second, PPE last.
- Skin protection is the priority. Chloroanilines are absorbed through intact skin — chemical-resistant gloves and coveralls, not just splash protection. H317 also applies, so sensitisation is a real risk for repeat handlers.
- Respiratory protection where dust may be generated — particularly when breaking a caked drum or emptying a bulk bag — per your own exposure assessment.
- Health surveillance and exposure records. Where a carcinogen classification triggers obligations at your site, your occupational health provider and EHS function own the detail. We flag the classification; the programme is yours to run.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H410 applies — collect spills as solid waste and dispose of them as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
PCA moves as regulated cargo. We classify each consignment, apply UN-approved packaging and labelling, and file the dangerous-goods declaration before the booking is made. The applicable UN number, class and packing group are stated on your shipping documents and SDS — ask us for the current DG paperwork when you plan the shipment.
What travels with every consignment
A chemical shipment is only as good as the file that travels with it. Verifying what the source plant sends is precisely the work you are buying from a supplier.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-specific assay by GC, moisture by Karl Fischer, appearance, melting range and impurity profile — checked against your purchase specification before we release the goods.
GHS Safety Data Sheet
Full 16-section SDS in GHS format covering hazards, exposure controls, handling, storage, spill response, toxicology and disposal — issued in the language your destination requires.
Dangerous Goods Declaration
UN number, hazard class, packing group and IMDG or IATA declaration prepared and filed before the container is booked, with correctly marked and labelled packaging.
Certificate of Origin
Chamber-attested where required, plus preferential-origin forms where a trade agreement gives your import duty relief at the destination.
Third-party inspection
SGS, Intertek or Bureau Veritas sampling and inspection arranged on request before loading, giving you independent verification of what actually ships.
Retained & pre-shipment samples
Pre-shipment samples carry the same COA as the commercial lot, so what your laboratory qualifies is exactly what arrives. Retention samples held against the batch.
The two routes out of this aniline
Almost everything made from PCA leaves by one of two doors: the diazonium salt, or the isocyanate. Understanding which one you are using explains why the specification matters and which impurity will hurt you. The routes below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start with the aniline
PCA provides a primary aromatic amine with chlorine locked at the para position, deactivating the ring and leaving the 4-chlorophenyl fragment on everything downstream.
Door one — diazotise
Sodium nitrite in acid at low temperature gives the diazonium salt, which is coupled onto a naphthol or acetoacetarylide to build an azo pigment or dye.
Door two — phosgenate
Conversion to 4-chlorophenyl isocyanate opens the urea and carbanilide routes: phenylurea herbicides, antimicrobials and a wide range of substituted ureas.
Finish to grade
The crude product is crystallised, washed and dried, then standardised or purified to whatever the end market demands — colour target, agro spec or pharmaceutical limit.
Why aniline quality carries through the whole route
Both doors act on the nitrogen. Anything in the feed that competes for that nitrogen, or that carries its own reactive functionality, follows the material down the line:
- Isomeric anilines diazotise or phosgenate in parallel and give structurally similar products — an off-shade chromophore in colour work, a hard-to-separate urea in agro work.
- Residual water is tolerable in diazotisation but destroys phosgene or acid chloride on the isocyanate route, wasting reagent and generating HCl in the batch.
- Oxidation products — the coloured species responsible for the brown drift — dull a finished shade and can show as colour in an otherwise white solid.
- Heavy residues concentrate in the still bottoms and reduce the number of passes you get from a distillation or crystallisation train.
That chain of consequences is the reason we quote against your written specification rather than a generic "99% technical" grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Principal outlet |
|---|---|
| Para Chloroaniline CAS 106-47-8 — this product | Azo pigments & dyes Antimicrobials Monuron and related ureas |
| 3,4-Dichloroaniline CAS 95-76-1 | Diuron Linuron Propanil |
| Para Fluoroaniline CAS 371-40-4 | Pharmaceutical intermediates Fluorinated actives |
If your route calls for one of the others, we supply those as well — see 3,4-dichloroaniline and para fluoroaniline. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
PCA is not a commodity with a screen price. Knowing what drives the quote helps you time a purchase and read whether an offer is realistic.
Multiple demand cycles
Pigment, antimicrobial and herbicide demand pull on the same aniline at different times of year, so the market rarely goes quiet in the way a single-outlet intermediate does.
- Quote early for campaign tonnage
- Spot buying at peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to PCA runs through chlorobenzene and the nitration–reduction chain. Movements in benzene, chlorine and hydrogen feed through to the aniline within a quarter or so.
- Chlorine and benzene set the floor
- Energy cost weighs on distillation
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Regulatory pressure
A carcinogen classification raises the compliance cost of producing, storing and moving this material. That cost sits inside the price, and it is one reason capacity has consolidated rather than expanded.
- Handling obligations vary by jurisdiction
- Some markets restrict certain end uses
- We check destination rules before quoting
Pack format
Cost per kilo falls from 25 kg bags to drums to jumbo bags — and with a classified carcinogen, bulk bags also cut the number of times an operator opens a pack.
- Small bags carry the highest packing cost
- FIBC is cheapest per kilo at volume
- Less manual handling means less exposure
Freight & DG surcharges
This is regulated cargo, so ocean freight carries a hazardous surcharge and space is tighter than for general cargo. Destination and Incoterm move landed cost as much as the ex-works price does.
- Compare on landed cost, not ex-works
- DG space books out ahead of peak season
- We quote FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP as you prefer
Source availability
A plant turnaround, an environmental inspection or a monsoon disruption can take capacity offline at short notice. Single-sourced buyers feel this hardest.
- We hold a second qualified source on this line
- Qualify the alternate before you need it
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
| If your end use is… | Specify |
|---|---|
| Azo pigments & dyes | Colour ceiling, tight isomer limit, low insolubles |
| Antimicrobial chemistry | High assay with tight isomer and residue limits |
| Isocyanate / urea route | High assay with moisture the critical parameter |
| Pharmaceutical chain | Tight isomer limit; metals and residues reported |
| Laboratory / R&D | Small pack, high purity, full analytical pack |
Not sure which column you are in? Describe the reaction you are running and our technical desk will recommend the grade — including telling you when a cheaper specification would do the job just as well.
Support that goes beyond shipping the bag
What our technical desk will do
- Match a grade to your reaction. Tell us the step you are running and we will recommend the specification — and say so plainly when a tighter, costlier grade would add nothing.
- Be straight about the hazard profile. We state the carcinogenicity classification at enquiry stage so your EHS team can price the controls into the decision, rather than meeting it for the first time on the label.
- Advise on handling and storage for your site conditions — a bagged store in a Gulf summer is a different problem from one in northern Europe, especially for a solid that melts at 71 °C.
- Review your specification before it goes into a contract, so you are not locked into a limit that no plant can consistently hit.
Regulatory & compliance notes
- Carcinogen obligations are jurisdiction-specific. Several regimes impose substitution reviews, exposure monitoring, health surveillance and record retention for classified carcinogens. Confirm what applies at your site before the first delivery.
- Import controls vary by destination. Some jurisdictions apply registration, licensing or end-use declaration requirements to this material. We check the destination rules before quoting, not after you have raised the PO.
- Chemical inventory listings differ between regions. Confirm your obligations under the applicable inventory regime for your import volume — we will supply the identity data you need for that filing.
- Downstream article restrictions can apply to certain colourant and consumer applications. Your regulatory team should confirm the finished-article position for the end use you have in mind.
None of the above is legal advice — your own regulatory affairs team owns the final compliance position for your import and your workplace. What we commit to is giving you accurate product identity data, an honest statement of the hazard classification and complete documentation to work from.
From enquiry to delivered pallet
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 106-47-8, the assay and impurity limits you work to, quantity, pack preference and destination port.
Receive a firm quote
Pricing, lead time, packing and Incoterm confirmed in writing within 24 hours — our sourcing desk is staffed around the clock.
Qualify and approve
Sample dispatched if you are qualifying a new source. Batch COA shared for your approval before the material is released.
Ship and track
DG classification filed, freight booked, export documents issued, and the consignment tracked through transit and clearance to your plant.
Often bought alongside this grade
Consolidate several intermediates onto one shipment and one invoice. These are the anilines and aromatics our pigment, agrochemical and fine chemical customers most often order in the same programme.
What buyers ask us about Para Chloroaniline
Is this material classified as a carcinogen?
Can I use the ortho or meta isomer instead?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
The material arrived caked or partly fused. Is it off-spec?
Why does the solid darken in storage?
How should we store it, and what is the shelf life?
Is this a dangerous good? What paperwork comes with it?
- Batch certificate of analysis
- GHS-format safety data sheet
- Dangerous-goods declaration with UN number, class and packing group
- Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading or airway bill
- Certificate of origin and any destination-specific forms
Do you supply to my country?
Do you manufacture this yourself?
Can you hold stock against a production plan?
Request pricing on Para Chloroaniline
Send your required assay, quantity, pack format and destination port. Our sourcing desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and comes back with pricing, lead time and packing options — whether that is a single trial bag or a contracted container programme for the year.